VIRGINIA- On April 4, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials found a suitcase left behind with two cow dung cakes at Washington Dulles International Airport.
“That is not a typo. CBP agriculture specialists found two cow dung cakes in a suitcase that was left behind after passengers from an Air India flight cleared CBP’s inspection station on April 4,” CBP said in a statement.
Cow dung is reported to be a vital energy and cooking source in some parts of the world. Cow dung has also been reportedly used as a skin detoxifier, an antimicrobial, and as a fertilizer. Despite these alleged benefits, cow dung from India is prohibited due to the potential introduction of Foot and Mouth disease.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) is a worldwide concern as it can spread widely and rapidly and causes significant economic losses to livestock populations. A single detection of FMD will likely stop international livestock trade completely until authorities can eradicate the disease threat. The United States has been FMD free since 1929.
“Foot and Mouth Disease is one of the animal diseases that livestock owners dread most, has grave economic consequences, and it is a critical threat focus of Customs and Border Protection’s agriculture protection mission,” said Keith Fleming, Acting Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Baltimore Field Office. “CBP’s agriculture specialists are our nation’s frontline protectors of vital agricultural and natural resources that help keep our nation’s economy strong and robust.”
The cow dung cakes were destroyed, CBP said in a statement.
The CBP officials destroyed the “cake surprise” as they called it in their release. It is not clear why the passenger brought it abroad but there could be many reasons.
Cow dung is also used in cooking as a fuel in several regions of India. However, burning of cow dung can lead to emission of hazardous gasesand the smoke could lead to arsenic poisoning.
After the outbreak of COVID-19 in India, some people have taken to using cow dung and cow urine as a cure for the virus — a claim which is not just unverified but also highly irresponsible. Last week, a member of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party encouraged people to drink cow urine to ward off the virus. Doctors, however, have strongly advised against this practice.
“There is no concrete scientific evidence that cow dung or urine work to boost immunity against COVID-19. It is based entirely on belief,” JA Jayalal, national president at the Indian Medical Association, told Reuters.
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